Is Food From China Safe? Cardboard Found in Street Vendor's Stuffed Dumplings

InjuryBoard bloggers from Parker & McConkie in Salt Lake City have an interesting post about a disturbing discovery in China.

A street vendor was caught selling baozi, a popular dumpling-like snack, that was stuffed with cardboard and soaked in an industrial chemical.

Stories such as this one illustrate why the U.S. government needs to take a firmer stand on food imported from China. First the pet food recall, then the toothpaste recall, then reports of melamine fillers in food and now this. Is any food product imported from China safe? What assurance do we have that it’s even “food” that is being imported?

China appears to be taking a hard stance on the food safety issue. China executed its former top food and drug regulator for taking bribes to approve untested medicine. Obviously, such actions are meant to signal to the U.S. that China takes food safety seriously.

But does it really? Or is China just trying to protect its economic interests? And should the U.S. accept imports from a country that imposes such Draconian punishments? I’d love to hear what you think about this issue.